Lahaina, Hawaii ? A robust 6-foot-4, 215-pound picture of good health, 71-year-old University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson has no plans to retire anytime soon.

“No. I will make at least one more (trip to Hawaii),” Olson said matter-of-factly, asked if the 2005 EA Sports Maui Invitational would be his last.

Arizona isn’t eligible to compete in the prestigious eight-team tourney again until 2009. That means Olson – who, with a full head of white hair, looks about 15 years younger – has plans to stalk the sidelines until he’s 75.

That’s more than OK with Wildcat fans, thrilled with one national title, four Final Fours and 21 straight NCAA Tournament appearances under the tutelage of the only Mayville, N.D., native to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

He was accorded basketball’s highest honor on June 5, 2002.

“It ranks right up there with the 1997 NCAA championship and 1986 world championship,” Olson said, comparing the Hall honor with his Mike Bibby/Miles Simon-led national crown and David Robinson and Kenny Smith-led world championship.

“It’s definitely one of the special things that has happened in my career.”

Storied career

One of 24 coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games, Olson, who has a 549-164 record in 22 years at Arizona, didn’t get where he is today by playing patsies in the nonconference season.

Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson reacts to a call during the Wildcats' game against Kansas University on Jan. 26, 2003, in Allen Fieldhouse. Olson's Wildcats will meet KU in the Maui Invitational on Monday, keeping with Olson's theory that playing good teams in the early season will help a team finish strong.

Olson, whose Arizona teams are 2-4 all-time against Kansas University heading into Monday’s 8 p.m. Maui opener, believes playing a tough schedule in November and December helps a team in March.

“I don’t know how other coaches feel. I’ve always been of the opinion you learn from playing the best competition you can play,” said Olson, who had a similar philosophy as coach at Long Beach State and Iowa.

“I say I’d rather lose one by one or two (points) than win one by 40. You win by 40, guys think they are better than they are. I want us to be tested, to see what we need to do better. The only way to do that is to play tough competition.”

The competition is unusually tough this year in Maui.

Preaseason Top 25 teams Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan State, Gonzaga and Maryland have been joined by perennial power KU, Arkansas and Division II host school Chaminade.

“This, in my opinion, is the best preseason matchup in a tournament situation I’ve ever seen – Preseason NIT or any one you want to mention,” Olson said.

“Six teams have won national championships. The seventh team invited is Gonzaga, which is fourth in one poll I saw. The tournament is loaded. There are going to be some great basketball games.”

Good ‘Cats

Olson will not argue the fact his squad, on paper, is one of the best assembled this week in Maui.

“It’s probably the deepest team we’ve had,” he said.

Deeper than the 1996-97 Cats, who broke the hearts of KU fans by downing the Jayhawks in the Sweet 16 en route to a national title.

The No. 1-seeded Jayhawks that year were led by Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Jacque Vaughn and Scot Pollard. KU fell, 85-82, to the No. 4-seeded Wildcats in Birmingham, Ala., in a game Jayhawk guard Jerod Haase was rendered helpless because of a wrist injury.

“That Kansas team … Roy still goes back and says that was the best team he coached at Kansas,” Olson said of former KU coach Roy Williams. “Our team … I don’t know what we were as a seed, six maybe, but we had played Kansas the year before in Denver. That game went down to the wire. Joe McLean had been in the hospital all day, and we didn’t get much out of him.

“We lost (83-80 in Sweet 16), but it really helped us in preparation for that game against Kansas. We were not in awe of them. We probably should have been.”

Olson says he believes KU could – and probably would – have won the title had the Wildcats not stormed to the Final Four, where they beat two other No. 1 seeds – North Carolina and Kentucky.

“I think so. I think they would have,” Olson said of the 35-2 Jayhawks. “They had everything you’d want to have with great guard play and great front-line play. That was a very good team.”

Knows Jayhawks

KU enacted revenge of sorts on the Wildcats, taking a 78-75 Elite Eight victory in the 2003 NCAAs in Anaheim, Calif.

“We’ve played Kansas many times before,” Olson said, looking forward to Monday’s game in which his Hassan Adams, Chris Rodgers, Isaiah Fox and Mustafa Shakur-led Wildcats take on the young Jayhawks.

“It hasn’t been the case where either team has been a slouch. Kansas is young but talented. They have as much talent coming in this year as they ever have.”

Olson would know. He recruited KU’s Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and C.J. Giles.

“We are well aware of them, having seen them play a lot of times in high school,” Olson said. “They are as talented as any players you’ll find.”

Olson, coincidentally, has played KU coach Bill Self’s Illinois teams in marquee games. ‘Zona beat the Illini, 87-81, in the 2001 Elite Eight in San Antonio, the same season the Wildcats prevailed, 79-76, over Illinois in the Maui Invitational finals.

“It was a great game. We got beat on a last-second shot,” Self said. “Coach Olson and his staff do a great job. His teams are always among the best in the country, this year no exception.”

Olson returned the compliment.

“Bill’s teams will play hard, play sound defensively and are very skilled as well,” Olson said. “We’ve had some great games against Kansas and Bill’s Illinois teams. I’m really looking forward to this game as well. No matter what happens, both teams will gain from playing this game and playing in this tournament.

“Every team will come out of that tournament with positives to build on and will know a lot about their team. It’s the way teams have to go into it: This is the best of the best. Let’s learn from it, whether it’s a win or a loss.”